Love Handles (merged)

[wise_mage]

how to lose love handles?

hey, I was wondering if anyone could give me some specific excersise for helping the loss of love handles. I know dieting plays an important role but I want to help it with excersises since my esting habits are not exactly ideal. still I am getting closer to my goal of weighing 130 punds. Im at 135 and used to be at 160 five months ago but I go to the gym almost everyday.
I still feel wide though since I am only 5,7 and Id like to form some waist. the V shape, without expanding my back and chest etc. because my back is way too wide already, and I look to squarerish.
dont bombard this post with "u scrawny blah blha blha" type of responses I dont want to be all bulkjed up like most of you here.
I have my own objectives. negative muscle mass I believe diesel calls it. looking like the calvin klein models and the well toned but very thin rock stars and bradd pitt and that style.
still I need to cut more on my waist without expanding the upper part to have more of a V shape and to not look so square.
so any tips?

 

[DIESEL]

keep dieting. follow the CUTTING GUIDE... it'll help you burn the fat and keep what you have. Keep going till you get the body you want.

Also, chances are you won't look exactly like those girlie-men... everybody's body has its own proportion.

D

 

[Metaphor]

If you're 5'7 and 130-135 my guess is you don't have much more fat you can lose. Also..you can't spot reduce..ie specifically target fat on your midsection. You lose it all over. So there is no exercise that is going to help you lose them beside a good diet and cardio. One thing I'd recommend staying away from is any oblique work whatsoever. That means only straight ab work, no twisting. This isn't the best plan for strength, but once you start packing mass on these side areas it's very hard to get rid of. Ectomorphs, that is naturally skinny guys, like you and me, tend to store most body fat in the midsection anyway.

 

[wise_mage]

diesel - exactly. I really cant look girlie at all. I weigh 135, yet people say I look strong and I do. It is imperative that I am this thin in order to look taller. I have a naturally strong complexion with big bones and all and guess I would have no trouble bulking up if thats what I wanted but that would make me look more square and shorter. I know my body and this is the right path for me. thng is the cutting guide focuses a lot on heavy lifting which is the opposite of what I do. I mostly do cardio, slow steady and HIIT as well. I combine them both. I do slow stady cardio everyday. HIIT one day I do, one day I dont. I do ab work everyday. and do some very light lifting with weights but mostly use my own body weight to excersie my arms my chest my shoulders etc the days I dont do HIIT.
mondays, wensdays and fridays I focus on slow cardio, abs and strenght bulding and muscle defining excersises and tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays I focus on a bit more of slow steady cardio, a n 18 minute session of moderate HIIT and ab work.
what I would like to do is actually make my back a bit smaller and gain perhaps a little on my chest muscles.
I am convince my back is way too wide.

metaphor - I dont think I have a lot of fat to lose either. I made this test at wal mart nd it rated I had 4% body fat. its probably wrong since its way too low but if the machine said that I must be pretty low anyways.
How do I spot reduce?
about the twisting, I do lateral crunches on the roman saddle. 100 everyday, 50 per side, and so far they have worked well. not outstandingly well but well enough. I barely have anything I can grasp with my hands on the sides and lower belly front.
another thing is that I am a mesomorph. I did this test at bodybuilding.com and it rated me as a mesomorph. I wish I was an ectomorph though. those guys can eat enything and stay thin.

what about the fat on my ass? does that count?

 

[Metaphor]

Mesomorphs tend to be a bit heavier and put on muscle easily. Most people are a combo anyway, like I think of my self as 50/50 ecto and meso. What I said was you CAN'T spot reduce, not there is a way to do it. Also..there's probably no way you're at 4%. It's a rarity for someone to go under 6 or 7%. When you here about people have like 3-5% it's usually a lie. This amount is required and is around your organs for their protection.

I barely have anything I can grasp with my hands on the sides and lower belly front.

This means little fat. What I meant was if you do work for your obliques everday, over the course of time, you are going to add an inch or more to your waist. And if you're going for the thin cut look this is not the approach to take.

what I would like to do is actually make my back a bit smaller and gain perhaps a little on my chest muscles.

I have a theory on this, but it may be totally inaccurate. I was thinking about it the other day. It's not going to be the most healthy solution, but I think it would work. Go into the gym and do a hardcore workout for your back and don't eat anything for the next few hours. Work your back everyday for a week like this while eating poorly. I believe this would keep your back in a state of hypertrophy while simultaneously not providing the nutrients it needs, thus causing shrinkage. But again, that's not a tested theory, and I myself would never do it. Just throwing it out there cause I'm kinda curious as to what anyone would say about.

 

[enkai]

You can't go train your back everyday, once you blow out your lower back you can hang up the towel and pretty much retire your bodybuilding/powerlifting hobby, the lower back never really heals either, once its gone, it's gone...if you want to shrink your back, just stop training it and focus on other body parts, overtraining it will not cause atrophy, in most cases your gains will stagger and your other body parts will suffer. Diesel is right, just keep doing it, and eventaully you'll get there...I myself tried most of the crap on the market, i work at GNC, and I gota tell ya...Diet is king, screw all this tip toe supplements promising bull**** man, just stick trough with it and you'll get it, it does take time, but its well worth it in the end.

 

[Metaphor]

No one said anything about a lower back Enkai. When people say things such as..

I am convince my back is way too wide.

You can safely assume that they're referring to their upper back. Now, if Mage were to have said something like, "My waist is too wide and I do lots of deadlifts and heavy hyperextensions", perhaps a comment about lower back training would have been relevant. I've yet to hear about anyone blowing their lower back from correctly doing the many varieties of pulldowns and rows that are available in the gym.

if you want to shrink your back, just stop training it and focus on other body parts, overtraining it will not cause atrophy

Again, Mage said he wants to make his back smaller, not everything else bigger in order to compensate.

Diet is king

Absolutely, couldn't agree more.

 

[wise_mage]

definitely. I was talking about my upper back. More precisely the 2 muscles (I dont know their names so heres my explanation)where if we were angels we would have our wings. I hope u get what muscles Im talking about.
Im still thinking about how can I reduce this.
I actually only excersise back as a secondary muscle group when exersising chest or triceps or biceps as a primary. indirectly you might say. I have started to put on a little more weight for chest excersises but I am not sure if u can actually cut while bulking. meaning that at the same time I could cut muscle on my back but add some to my chest. can this be done?

 

[DIESEL]

Originally posted by wise_mage
definitely. I was talking about my upper back. More precisely the 2 muscles (I dont know their names so heres my explanation)where if we were angels we would have our wings. I hope u get what muscles Im talking about.

Those aren't muscles. They are bones.

Im still thinking about how can I reduce this.

you can't.

I actually only excersise back as a secondary muscle group when exersising chest or triceps or biceps as a primary. indirectly you might say.

This has got to be the most retarded training routine yet. What I really love is how people post their garbage routines, then in spite of it getting leveled (and with the attendant explanation) they still insist on following them. Ugh.

Anyway, without a big back you will never have a big chest or biceps. And without a big chest chances are you won't have big tris. Think about that.

I have started to put on a little more weight for chest excersises but I am not sure if u can actually cut while bulking. meaning that at the same time I could cut muscle on my back but add some to my chest. can this be done?

Wait, but it gets even stupider! So basically you're asking if it's possible to add AND subtract at the same time, right? Let's think about that for a second. Uh..NO.

As to your other posts.

1. Judging from this thread, you know very little about training. Your routine sucks. I'm telling you this, but you probably won't listen.

2. You can't do HIIT and slow/steady cardio at the same time. It's either one or the other. and if you're going for fat loss you should be HIIT all the time.

3. Maybe your idiotic routine is the reason why you aren't getting the results you want and what is forcing you to post on this forum.

4. Unless you are less than 5'4" 135 is tiny. Most girls weigh more than you.

D

 

[Sammo]

Originally posted by DIESEL
4. Unless you are less than 5'4" 135 is tiny. Most girls weigh more than you.

hahahaha!

 

[wise_mage]

Originally posted by DIESEL
Those aren't muscles. They are bones.



you can't.



This has got to be the most retarded training routine yet. What I really love is how people post their garbage routines, then in spite of it getting leveled (and with the attendant explanation) they still insist on following them. Ugh.

Anyway, without a big back you will never have a big chest or biceps. And without a big chest chances are you won't have big tris. Think about that.



Wait, but it gets even stupider! So basically you're asking if it's possible to add AND subtract at the same time, right? Let's think about that for a second. Uh..NO.

As to your other posts.

1. Judging from this thread, you know very little about training. Your routine sucks. I'm telling you this, but you probably won't listen.

2. You can't do HIIT and slow/steady cardio at the same time. It's either one or the other. and if you're going for fat loss you should be HIIT all the time.

3. Maybe your idiotic routine is the reason why you aren't getting the results you want and what is forcing you to post on this forum.

4. Unless you are less than 5'4" 135 is tiny. Most girls weigh more than you.

D

yeah, whatever.

1. your totally right, only u possess the absolute truth what works and what doesnt. any other way is either idiotic, stupid or dumb because only you know what we need to make our bodies what we want them to be (or is it what you want them to be?).


2. yes u can. an it works too. even better than doing HIIT alone. more calorie deficit, more condition, more breathing capacity.

3. maybe you dont know how to read because if you did, you`d know I have been getting great results so far. my abs show, I have a small body fat %, I have a great condition and am in great physical shape, I look good without my shirt on and my speed and stamina have gone up. I just want to perfect my look, and that is why I posted here.

4. boy, u truly dont know sh!t. most girls who are my height or smaller and have an athletic build or are plain thin are within the 50kg range. I dont know if the girls from your country are taller than 5`7 or fatter than they are supposed to but here down south most arent. if a girl who is my height or smaller weights more than I do its because she is slightly chubby. I weight a bit more than most girls, a few kgms within my height range and I have less fat than they do, meaning I have more muscle.

I dont want big chest, nor a big back. slgihtly bigger pec muscles is very different from big chest. I know you are all about being musclebound but dont go trashing my routine when you dont even know if it works.
thing is uoy havent even tried it, since you are too busy gloryfying yours- also mine goes completly against being musclebound. but since you havent tried it you dont know if it works or not. I on the other hand have experimented with it and it has worked for me.
as much as youd like to think so diesel, yours is not the only routine that works, and not eveyone wants to be musclebound and packing 35 or more extra pounds of muscle-
I know you like how a lot of the bulking up fanatics worship you and your routines here and Im sure they work just fine if you want to look just like you do, but the thing is I dont want to look like you do. but i guess thats to complicated for you to understand.

 

[MetalFortress]

wisemage, instead of *****ing out Diesel, maybe you should LISTEN to him. The only way you are going to lose muscle and gain fat is if you are eating just over maintenance and doing a high volume, high density ballistics routine. Ballistics are great for fat loss, and done heavy and high volume they are great for muscle gain. And even that isn't really optimal, and seeing as you weigh 90 pounds less than I do, it might not even work for you. You can NOT spot reduce, and you would be better off cutting and bulking seperately. And oh yeah, work the multijoint lifts more and WORK YOUR LEGS.

 

[DIESEL]

Originally posted by wise_mage
.

1. your totally right, only u possess the absolute truth what works and what doesnt. any other way is either idiotic, stupid or dumb because only you know what we need to make our bodies what we want them to be (or is it what you want them to be?).

Actually, yeah, on this one I am right. Your routine is fundamentally flawed, and very badly thought out b/c it reflects on your lack of knowledge of how the body actually works. Hell you thought the scapulae were muscles!!! I think that's enough to expose how little you know.

Also, if you're going to get so touchy about criticism, then why the hell did you even post your routine, if you're not even willing to take it, or much less defend your routine?

2. yes u can. an it works too. even better than doing HIIT alone. more calorie deficit, more condition, more breathing capacity.

you are so wrong on this one, it's not even funny. In short if you are doing HIIT and slow/steady cardio in the same workout... then IT IS NOT HIIT, genius.

3. maybe you dont know how to read because if you did, you`d know I have been getting great results so far. my abs show, I have a small body fat %, I have a great condition and am in great physical shape, I look good without my shirt on and my speed and stamina have gone up. I just want to perfect my look, and that is why I posted here.

if YOU knew how to read, you'd know that there are literally a million ways to lose weight. However your way has cost you a shytload of musclemass - and guess what you're still fat! Hell, you still have love handles don't ya? It is after all the title of this post, isn't it? Precisely. To all the other readers reading this, yet another reason to know what you're doing before you start cutting... you end up skinny (i.e. no mass at 135lbs. ) but still "fat" (with love handles) - brilliant plan, really.

4. boy, u truly dont know sh!t. most girls who are my height or smaller and have an athletic build or are plain thin are within the 50kg range. I dont know if the girls from your country are taller than 5`7 or fatter than they are supposed to but here down south most arent. if a girl who is my height or smaller weights more than I do its because she is slightly chubby. I weight a bit more than most girls, a few kgms within my height range and I have less fat than they do, meaning I have more muscle.

The fact that you are trying to defend that you are even near what most girls weigh should disturb you. Even 20 lbs. is way too close. Either you are extremely short (which at 5'7 you are not), or you are extremely scrawny (bingo!) ... which is it? Either way it sounds like you have very little muscle.

I dont want big chest, nor a big back. slgihtly bigger pec muscles is very different from big chest. I know you are all about being musclebound but dont go trashing my routine when you dont even know if it works.

I don't have to try your routine to know it won't work. Anyone with a reasonable knowledge of training and how the body responds to training will tell you it has huge holes in it.

thing is uoy havent even tried it, since you are too busy gloryfying yours-

I don't glorify my routines, it's what I personally do, so I vouch for them, because they work, big time. Also, I didn't ask for the GUIDES to be stickied. The people coming on the board did. And for that, I'm flattered. Like I said, I don't really need to try your routine to know it won't work for more than a couple of weeks once the novelty of the routine wears off.

also mine goes completly against being musclebound. but since you havent tried it you dont know if it works or not. I on the other hand have experimented with it and it has worked for me.
as much as youd like to think so diesel, yours is not the only routine that works, and not eveyone wants to be musclebound and packing 35 or more extra pounds of muscle-

Yes, yours goes completely against being musclebound into promoting straight catabolism. Even for what you are preaching your workouts should look more similar to mine, not yours.

I know you like how a lot of the bulking up fanatics worship you and your routines here and Im sure they work just fine if you want to look just like you do, but the thing is I dont want to look like you do. but i guess thats to complicated for you to understand.

I don't really care if you want to look like me or not. Chances are YOU NEVER WILL. Why, because I weight approximately DOUBLE what you do and I am nine inches taller than you. I also don't care if people here follow my routines or not. I don't put a gun to anybody's head. I will say this tho, they work for most people who try it. However, when you post some ill-planned garbage here, it will get critiqued, either by myself or any of other rather knowledgeable posters on this forum. Why? b/c if it isn't then some clueless newbie will get all confused and waste his time on something that will simply be just that: a waste of his time.

 

[Hannibal]

amen brother D

 

[Nannu]

perpetual love handles

hi, I'm new to this area of the website and I'm a relatively good looking guy but I have love handles that seem impossible to get rid of. I've had on and off bouts of aerobic excercise; some running, some biking, some snowboarding, but not too many muscle isolating workouts. How do I reduce my weight and get rid of my love handles without getting into medication?
My diet consists of two medium to large meals a day. I run maybe 3 times a week right now.
Thanks for any suggestions

 

[OddTech]

Follow Diesel's cutting guide if you want to retain muscle mass. It's basically very simple. You need to burn more calories than you take in. That means you need to have a log of what goes into your mouth.

Instead of having 3 meals/day, take 5-6 light meals a day. This prevents you from going into "starvation mode" and storing what you eat. Be consistent and be diligent.

And also, medication is overrated, don't fool yourself into thinking that they are magical pills.

 

[John11276]

Love Handles

I know cardio is a must for loosing love handles, what are some good ab exercise that will target this area fast?

 

[Alpha male Female Catcher]

Re: Love Handles

Metaphor

What I said was you CAN'T spot reduce, there is not a way to do it.

DJ IronGirevik

You can NOT spot reduce

Originally posted by John11276
I know cardio is a must for loosing love handles, what are some good ab exercise that will target this area fast?

Actually John11276 I believe that Metaphor and DJ IronGirevik got it right when they said YOU CAN NOT SPOT REDUCE!

For my own thoughts on this issue see this thread http://www.sosuave.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?threadid=30843

 

[Alpha male Female Catcher]

Re: how to lose love handles?

Originally posted by wise_mage
I am getting closer to my goal of weighing 130 punds. Im at 135 and used to be at 160 five months ago but I go to the gym almost everyday. I still feel wide though since I am only 5,7 and Id like to form some waist. the V shape, without expanding my back and chest etc. because my back is way too wide already, and I look to squarerish.

Let me get this right, you claim that
1) you weigh 61.5kg
2) your back is way too wide
3) you don't yet have a V shape

I can believe that 1 and 3 are true but find it hard to believe that 2 would also be true if 1 and 3 are true.

I could believe that 1 and 2 are true but only if you had the most amazing V shape known to man (it would be more of a T shape), in which case 3 would not be true.

I just can't picture a guy with a square shape who's back is way too wide and so is his waist yet he only weighs 61.5kg. Your claims just don't add up from where I stand.

I suspect that your using a definiton of what constitutes way too wide that differs markedly from what most people would agree with; which further makes me wander if there might not be some issues of Anorexia involved. That's what it sounds like to me when a 61kg guy asks for advice on how to make his muscles atrophy instead of hypertrophy.

Granted you have the right to look how you want but you shouldn't be too surprised if you don't find too much advice on how to induce muscle atrophy here. Why don't you post a pic of yourself and let the rest of us make a more objective judgement of wether or not you really are way to wide (and see if I am right about the anorexia thing). (The thing about anorexics is that they firmly believe they are too fat/big; you could have it and not know it. Posting a pic could help to let you know if this is the case).

 

[OddTech]

You know what, I'm going to say something a little weird. This works for me for some strange reason though.

I am what people called "skinny fat." That means I am skinny but I still have some love handles. I was like wise mage and I wanted to lose the love handles. I did the cycling and cardio stuff before and I don't see any improvement.

So 5 months ago, I did the opposite of what most of you would do, and that is I followed D's bulking guide. Kinda strange but I was running out of things to do. After I finish the bulking cycle, I gained probably 10 lbs at most (I started at 140 lbs). But when I went on the cutting cycle, it was so much easier to lose the love handles (already lost 2 lbs while keeping the lifting performance fairly consistent). I don't know why. Maybe it's because of the extra gain in muscle or maybe because I have been stimulating fat lost from the bulking cycle. Weird, but I'm starting to see a 4-pack. I'm pretty happy.